Skate and Annoy Galleries

Discussion

7 thoughts on “Santa Barbara Skateboards

  1. loved these boards and road them into the ground at Tea Bowl and Queen Anne’s.

  2. Philip Baskerville on April 28, 2020 - Reply

    I still have my 1977 Santa Barbara 65cm board fitted with GullWing HPG IV’s and Speed King wheels

  3. GREAT to see this ad!! I was the one who actually did the lettering for that logo while I was a student at UCSB! I was friends with the guys who started Santa Barbara Skateboards and calligraphy was a passion so I wanted to help them out. They then started SB Sports and I helped design the “SBS” logo for that co. too. As I recall, they were the 1st to make a “long board”

    1. Peter Thermos on March 31, 2023 - Reply

      My name is Peter Thermos, I’m John’s brother and I can’t wait to talk to him about “not a dead log!”. That’s cool to know you did the calligraphy back in the days of free-hand creation. I always thought SBS just meant Santa Barbara Skateboards. I’m not sure if they were first with the long board – I think they were very early to the wide board which I rode quite a bit before it went extinct. The first time the wide board was seen at a trade show, SBS and one other company were making them.

  4. By the way: the guy who came up with “… not a dead log” was a guy by the name of John Thermos

  5. Burt Handsome on August 7, 2023 - Reply

    Just hung out with Bill last night and brought him a couple old SBS to teach me about… including “the stick” saw his board presses, which he didn’t use on the first ones, a few stray old completes in his garage… told me of the dead log reference when I mentioned running into Logan family sister…oak LOGS indeed, no flex. it was good to meet and hear first hand stories, including the bankrupt filing based on skateboard magazines lawyer suing the small company. such as it was…bummer end to a winning team!

  6. William R Henderson on August 16, 2024 - Reply

    I’m Rick Henderson, photographer and shot for John and company. What was the lawsuit about? Can I post any pics? Would anyone want to see? Thanks! Rick

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